Energized line tool



Patented Jan. 13, 1942 Uirsu rrss 'if' orio 2 Claims.

The tool of this invention is adapted to be used in conjunction with working upon high potential electric lines, and in particular with that phase of electrical work which has to do with connecting and removing lines or leads which are connected or have been connected to the principal line to form either a temporary or permanent circuit,

From the nature of the work it will be apparent that a maximum degree of safety must be afforded' to those so engaged, and that the tools employed must be simple, practical, and easily employed.

Y It is therefore a prime object of vthe present` invention to provide an energized line tool which ,is of simple and practical construction; a tool which is positive in operation and which is easily and readily used for the purpose intended, and still a tool which is of relatively low cost.

Other objects, features, and .advantages of the invention may be apparent from the accompanying drawing, the specification, and the appended claims.

In the drawing of which there is one sheet:

Figure l is a front elevation of the tool of this I'.

invention, the operating handle portion thereof being broken away to enable the head of the tool to be drawn to practically full scale, the nut in the associated clamping device is shown slightly out of the socket wrench head to facilitate an understanding of its relation thereto.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the head to the tool drawn to practically the same scale used in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a View in elevation showing the clamp or connector holding a branch line to a principal line.

Figure 4 is a sectional view in plan, being taken on a plane substantially illustrated by line 4 4, k

in Figure l.

Figure 5 is a sectional view in plan showing construction of the upper yoke and its relation to the assembly.

The tool of this invention designated in geni v20, through a central bore 24 formed in handle section |4 and is socketed within and keyed to lhandle section l5 so as to rotate therewith.

l The upper or free end ofthe rod 22 is bifurcated at 25 to receive a standard type of universal joint 28, provided with a head portion 32 which is adapted to receive a socket type of `wrench-head 32.

A yoke 34 having bifurcated ends 36 is provided with an opening 34 which is` adapted to rotatably receive the member 38 ofA the universal joint 28, and'i's connected by lan intervening'web 35 with a second or complementary yoke 44 which rests substantially upon the upper end of the screw 2D, but which is' swivelly connected to the rod 22 by means of a pin 46`extending through the body vof the member 44 and through an annular groove 48 formed in the rod 22, thus firmly uniting the cross-heads or yokes 3d `and 4t, yet permitting rotational freedom upon the rod 22.

A cross-head 53 threadedly attached to the upper end of the sc'rew 2B and adapted to travel along the axis of the screw within certain limits, is provided with vertically disposed openings 52 which are adapted to swing the divergentlydie rected ends 54 of the jaws or chuck 55 as they fulcrum upon pins 5S secured in the yoke 34. The yoke M not only forms the basic support for the jaws 55 but acts as a guide and stop-limit for the intermediate portions 65 of the jaws as they are swung inwardly and outwardly by the travel of the cross-head 50.

The socket wrench-head 32 is intended to receive the head'62 of a screw 6d which is used to join the halves 66 and 68 of tne clamp 7i) which as will be noted from Figure 3 is used to join a minor lead 'I2 to a principal lead 14 of an electrical circuit. Y

It is to be noted that thevline clamp 'i5 upon which the tool of this invention is adapted to operate, is a standard electrical clamp and is used in illustrating application of the tool for the sole reason that it forms a common type of connector for main and secondary leads.

The tool may be used as follows: Assuming that the jaws 66 and 58 of the clamp l' have been separated by reverse rotation of the screw 64 to a distance suiiicient to admit the main lead 14, and that the free end I5 of the secondary lead l2 has been bent as generally indicated in Figurer 3 so as to be hooked within the jaws of the clamp, It is then only necessary to place the head 62 within the socket wrench-head 32 of the tool, which is then lifted by use of the pole I2 to the level of the main lead, after which by proper manual adjustment to bring the open jaws ofthe clamp into exact alignment with the main lead, the upper jaw 68 is hooked over such main lead and the connector is ready to be tightened in place.

With the pole section I4 held steady with one hand, the pole section i6 is turned with the other hand to turn rod 22 which rotates the universal joint and hence turns the wrench-head 32, thereby forcing the screw 64 through the jaw halves 66 and 68 which operation draws them together, hence clamping the two wires 12 and 14 in rm relation.

Thereafter, with one hand upon the pole section I6 to prevent loosening of the screw 64, and with the other used to rotate pole section I4, the jaws or chuck 56 is released from gripping the connector 1) by rotation of the screw 20, which, because it cannot rotate causes the cross-head 50 to be carried downwardly upon the threads of the screw.

As the cross-head 50 moves downwardly it draws the divergently directed free ends 54 of the chuck 5S toward the screw 20 and causes the opposite ends thereof to swing outwardly upon their fulcrum points 5B so as to clear the sides of the connector 10. The tool is thus freed and may be pulled from socketed engagement with the nut 62.

Application to release a connector of the above mentioned type is obviously the converse of applying the same and hence will not be further described.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications and variations may be made in practicing the invention in departure from the particular showing of the drawing and description, which are merely illustrative of the instant and preferred form, without however, departing from the true spirit of the invention as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described adapted to be applied axially of the greater length of an object to be moved, in combination, a hollow staff of dielectric material having a threaded tubular extension secured thereto in end alignment, a rotatable rod partially encased within said staff and having a hand grip end portion of dielectric material in end alignment with said staff, a wrench-head, a joint connecting said wrench-head and an unencased portion of said rod, a yoke swivelly mounted on said rod and adapted to rotatably receive said joint, a crosshead in threaded engagement with said tubular extension and adapted to move axially thereof upon rotation of the said extension, clamping jaws, said clamping jaws being fulcrumed in said yoke and having dependent outwardly ared extensions relatively movable within openings formed in said cross-head whereby upon movement of the said cross-head said extensions are swung inwardly and outwardly to eiect opening and closing of said jaws upon a Xed object whereby the same is non-rotatable pending movement of said secondmentioned hand grip and said wrench-head to rotate said object to be moved.

2'. An energized line clamp operating tool comprising a head portion, jaws in said head portion, said jaws being adapted to hold a clamp against rotation, the jaws having lower divergently flared terminal portions, a yoke to support the jaws, a second yoke, said last mentioned yoke being integrally connected with the first stated yoke whereby the jaws are held in relative alignment, a screw, a cross-head threadedly mounted on said screw and having openings in its ends through which said iiared terminal jaw portions are adapted to move inwardly and outwardly with respect to said screw, a dielectric pole to support and rotate said screw, and a rod swivelly mounting said second yoke and rotatable within said pole and having a dielectric hand-grip terminal portion whereby the said rod may be rotated, said rod being provided with a socket type of wrench head adjacent the jaws whereby an actuating bolt upon aline clamp may be rotated upon rotation of the said dielectric hand-grip portion of said rod.

CHARLES A. SMITH. 

